Sky + in Europe

Guest

Hi guys, it seems like there are lots of folks here with more info on this topic than sky themeselves and Im hoping somebody can help.

I have recently relocated and frozen my uk subscription to "standars sky". Now that I am in Europe Id like to subscribe to "Sky +" and install the system here in Portugal. I understand that I need to pay through my uk address which is no problem but do not have a clear understanding of the whole telefone connection thing.

If I get a subscription to Sky+ and get this connected and activated in the uk and then bring the sky+ box over to Portugal and connect it up here, will I have it disconnected due to not having it plugged into the phone line?

How about if I buy a box from say "simply digital", will the regular Sky card that I have (currently frozen) work if I decide to reactivate it on the Sky+ plan or do I need a seperate card for Sky+ to work?

Well-known Member

The phone connection on SKY+ is more of a contractual thing than technical, SKY+ does not need a phone connection to work.
A UK resident can buy and install SKY+ themselves without any direct contact with SKY or it's agents and would not be required to connect to a phone line unless they also used a mirror subscription.

If you replace a standard digibox with SKY+ you will continue to use the same subscription smartcard, however it will need to be remarried to the SKY+ and the SKY+ service activated with a further £10 a month payment IF you don't have at least two premium SKY channels in your subscription package.
Not sure what you mean by "frozen" SKY card, if it was a part of the second issue and had previously carried a SKY subscription it can be re-activated and upgraded. If it was a FTV card or issue 1 subscription card SKY will have to issue you a new smartcard.

"The Nac Mac Feegle are, well, theyre like tiny little Scottish Smurfs who have seen Braveheart altogether too many times."Gatecast

Guest

thanks starbust, I say frozen because the subscription is on hold unitl my suposed return to the uk and re-activation. So by what you are saying, there should be no problem in me coming to the uk, requesting an upgrade from Sky to Sky + (currently £149) and once this has been activated, I can disconnect and reconnect once setup in Portugal and should not have any problems? Is this correct?

or,

Do I need to purchase a Sky + box from a third party (around £180) and request that Sky reactivate my card as a Sky + subscription so that I do not need to connect to a phoneline?

Well-known Member

If you buy from SKY they will want to install it and you are required to hook it up to the phone, now I would say the odds of you getting grief for removing the connection is pretty small but I wouldn't rule it out totally.

So if you buy SKY+ from an independent dealer (complete with Quad LNB) and then install it and activate your card for both channel and SKY+ service you can then pack it all up and take it back to Portugal. I'm failry sure you can hook SKY+ upto a singal LNB and activate the SKY+ service, with dual recording you can then confirm if the features are active via one LNB connection.

"The Nac Mac Feegle are, well, theyre like tiny little Scottish Smurfs who have seen Braveheart altogether too many times."Gatecast

Standard Member

Came to the UK for a 2 day visit earlier this year and while there I purchased a sky+ box from a dealer. I gave him my card and he set everyting up including registering the card and box with Sky. Took it back home and connected it up. Being working OK ever since. No phone line connected obviously.

Guest

Now the only other issue I have is the satellite which Ive been told I will need a 1.8m one from Lisbon which I find very strange as my folks down in Malaga have a smaller one and are obviously further?

Out of curiosity, where did you buy your box from and how much did it cost you?

Standard Member

Hi Geeza,
I paid the normal £200 from Vision on 2000 in Alcester. see www.vo2000.com. I just looked and its still there at 199. I pay for 2 premium channels so there was no additional monthly cost. Can't help you with the dish size as I am in Hamburg. However I was on hols near Lisbon this summer and most of the dishes around were huge.

Guest

Now the only other issue I have is the satellite which Ive been told I will need a 1.8m one from Lisbon which I find very strange as my folks down in Malaga have a smaller one and are obviously further?

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You ask for advice but yet you are in disbelief? If you want to go for a smaller dish by all means but you won't get all the channels you want especially when it rains you loose all the terrestrial channels ie BBC1,2 ITV etc. As dave ward stated when he was on holiday close to Lisbon, all the dishes were huge. All you have to do is ask your local Portuguese satellite installation engineer and he will tell you the same.